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Sunday, 9 July 2017

It has been awhile since I have had the motivation to sit down and
write a blog post. Over the past couple of months I have lost all
inspiration to blog, and felt like it was a little pointless for me to
blog when there are so many people that do it so much better.
But since I have stopped blogging, I really have missed it. Even though
it was always quite time consuming, I loved taking the time to take pictures
of different products and coming up with new ideas for blog posts. So I have
decided to give the blogging another go. I might not be as consistent
as I used to be years ago, but I will be blogging as and when I can. I am also considering trying "micro-blogging" which everyone seems to love lately. Make sure you follow my other social media to keep updated there!

I
have changed a lot about how I do my make-up over the past couple of
months too. I definitely don't wear as much in day to day life and I
have found myself sticking to the same products pretty consistently over
the past while too. I thought a monthly favourites might be the easiest
way of easing myself back into the world of blogging since they are my
favourite posts to write and read, and I want to share with you some of
the items I have been reaching for the past while.

Flormar Anti-Blemish Foundation

I
discovered this foundation back in April when my skin was going through
a serious rough patch. I was looking for something slightly fuller
coverage than the Bourjois City Radiance (which I am still obsessed
with!) since I had a lot of breakouts to cover. This is so similar to
the City Radiance in the way it looks once its applied, the only
difference is that it has more coverage. It gives heavier coverage but
the finish of a light-weight foundation if that makes sense. It covers
everything you would want it too but it doesn't look or feel like you
are wearing a full coverage foundation. It lasts so well though-out the
day and doesn't leave me looking like you could fry eggs on my forehead
at the end of the day! I really do think that this has helped clear up
my skin too. I had such a bad couple of weeks with my skin really badly
breaking out and I think a combination of this and going back to using
the La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo brought me back to normal. Unfortunately
this foundation is Limited Edition...I KNOW!! I am so devastated
that anytime I spot a bottle in my shade I have to buy it! If you see
this foundation and you have oily/blemish prone skin, pick it up and
thank me later!

L'oreal Roller Doll Mascara

Everyone
has been raving about this mascara since it launched, and of course
being a sucker for a new mascara- I bought it. The packaging and the
name of this is a little strange, I've seen where people have confused
it for being a pastel green mascara because of the lid and the name
reminds me of the Benefit Roller Lash mascara. The brush however is
completely different to anything I have seen before. It is almost like
someone got a regular mascara wand and twisted it. The bristles really
grab on to your lashes and I find it really easy to lift and hold a curl
with it. It is definitely more volumising than anything which I prefer.
It is a really black formula and lasts really well on the lashes too. I
have had this on in the lashing rain and it has managed to stay put.
It is a really good mascara for applying to the bottom lashes too, it
separates and coats them nicely without making them look like spiders
legs! Definitely one to check out if you haven't already!

Sephora "So Shy" Blush

This
was such a random love. Mum brought me this back from Sephora in Rome.
It would never have been a shade that I would have picked out for
myself, but it has been in my make-up bag permanently since. It is a mix
of coral and pink shades that really brightens up the skin. I have worn
this with so many different eye and lip combinations and it has worked
with them all. It is a sheer blush that is quite easily built up so you
can use it in a number of different ways. It has no glitter or sheen in
it which is a must for my blushes. I always go for mattes and add the
shine where/if I want it with highlighter!

Zara Body Mist

I randomly picked this up basically because it was beside the till when I was paying one day and I have become completely obsessed since. I have actually lost count of how many back-ups I have bought of this, because I am so afraid that it will just disappear from Zara and I need to have this in my life at all times. This is everything I want in a scent, even though it doesn't say it on the bottle- the scent reminds me of vanilla. It is sweet, musky and light. I just wish the scent lasted a little longer. Even though it is a pretty big bottle, I do find myself spraying a little bit every time I spot the bottle in my handbag or wherever I have one, so it doesn't take long to go through a bottle!

Penney's "Nude" Lip Pencil

Everyone went mad for this shade back when it first came out in shops. Lately I have found myself reaching for it constantly. It is a matte pencil in a nude-pink shade. It literally goes with every make-up look that I have been wearing over the past couple of months. It is such a handy product to keep in your handbag because it is so easy and fuss free to apply and you don't have to worry that it won't suit the look you are wearing. I have been pairing it with a No.7 Lip Crayon if I want a bit more of a gloss, as that is a similar shade but just adds that bit of shine. This pencil is so ridiculously cheap at €2.50 that I think that everyone should pick it up if you spot it in Penneys! You really can't go wrong!

Revlon One Treatment

This has been a firm favourite of mine for years now, but I recently picked up a new bottle and the obsession has started again. It used to be really hard to get your hands on, but places like Cloud10Beauty and some pharmacies have started to stock it. I actually got this bottle in TK Maxx randomly enough! This is a miracle product. It does so much from heat protection, adding shine and detangling to name a few! This has really helped improve the state of my hair, it has gotten a little weaker since going blonde but I found that this really has helped. It also smells gorgeous which is always a plus!

If you have any posts that you would like to see, or if you have any products you would like me to review- please let me know in the comments. Be sure to follow my other social media accounts for my attempt at "micro-blogging" too!

Monday, 6 March 2017

Charlotte Tilbury is one of my favourite beauty brands at the moment. Everything I have tried from the collection I have absolutely loved. I was lucky enough to receive the set of three mini lipsticks for Christmas, and I was delighted as they were all colours I had wanted to try out but hadn't. The shades that were in the set are Amazing Grace, Very Victoria and Red Carpet Red. Two nudes and a red, which was perfect for the Christmas season! Even though the packaging of the lipsticks is small, you still get an amazing amount of product. The bullets are perfectly shaped to fit the size of your lip so I find that I only need one swipe to coat my lips in product and I can build up if I need to then. All the shades have a very creamy finish and are amazingly pigmented.

Very Victoria is my favourite from the set, it is a gorgeous mauve-nude which is what I have been going for the past couple of weeks. It goes with any eye look and really finishes off any make-up look you are doing without looking too over the top. Amazing Grace is another nude, but it is alot more pink in tone. I only like this on myself when I have a bit of tan on, it really brightens up the face. Red Carpet Red is a showstopper colour. I am saving this one for a night out or special occasion, but from testing it out around the house- it does last really well on the lips considering it is so creamy. When it does eventually wear off it leaves a bit of a stain on your lips so it doesn't look like you were trying to wear a red lipstick all day and it faded off horribly, it still leaves your lips looking red even when the lipstick isn't there anymore.

I am so impressed with these little lipsticks that I may have to go out and buy the full sizes. I have my eye on the Kim-KW shade, and I think I may need to purchase the new Pillow Talk lipstick...I'm just hoping she'll make that permanent to her collection! I think this little set was exclusive for Christmas but all the colours are part of her collection so you can still get the colours separately!

Please let me know if you have any Charlotte Tilbury recommendations. What are your favourite products by her?

Monday, 13 February 2017

I have seen videos of this tag going round on YouTube, and I thought it was such a good idea. While I do try to do Beauty favourites every month, I think it is nice to find out what someone's all time favourite products are. These are the products that are always in my make-up bag, or that I always go back to when I want a fool proof product.

These products are in no particular order, and they are a bit random and not really in categories but I hope you enjoy seeing what make-up products I couldn't be without.

Bourjois City Radiance Foundation

This is the foundation that I have been using the last year. When I first started using it, I really didn't like it. I thought that it did nothing for my skin. But since then I moved up a shade and fell in love...hard. I have used this pretty much every day solid since buying it. I have about three back-ups in my make-up drawers because whenever I see it on offer I buy it. I think that this foundation gives a medium coverage, but it can be built up easily. It doesn't look or feel heavy on the skin which is what I love about it. It gives a really nice glow to the skin, even after applying powder on top. It wears really well throughout the day which is important to me, because I am just too lazy to bother topping up my make-up...once I'm out, I'm out. I have worn this for so many different types of days...I've worn it to work, nights out, a wedding, and just lazy days and in all the different situations it has never let me down! The packaging is so handy for just throwing in your make-up bag if you're traveling, it doesn't take up much room and you don't have to worry about the bottle smashing and destroying all your make-up (speaking from experience)

MAC Give Me Sun Bronzer

Since getting this bronzer, well over a year ago, I can say that this has not left my make-up bag since. I'm not going to lie, this is a very orange toned bronzer. So if I don't have fake-tan on, I wouldn't be able to get away with wearing this. But when I do have tan on, this is just such a beautiful bronzer. It is a baked bronzer, so it is a matte powder but it gives a gorgeous natural glow to the skin-without any glitter or shimmer. I put this on my forehead, cheeks and down the centre of my face and I just can't get enough of the way it looks. The bronzer itself lasts ages, I have had this for over a year and still no sign of hitting the bottom yet! It is very pigmented so you have to be careful to go in with a light hand to avoid looking tangoed!

NARS Deep Throat Blush

If I don't know what blush to go to, or if I just want something I know will work for me, I always reach for this one by Nars. It is a gorgeous peach/pink shade with the slightest hint of shimmer. It brightens up the complexion without looking too noticeable or vibrant. It applies and blends out beautifully. I find that Nars products are of amazing quality and this blush is no different. If you are looking for a good starting out product from Nars, I would 100% recommend you give this a swatch! I feel that it would suit fair to medium skin tones.

Maybelline The Falsies Mascara

I do go through phases of loving certain mascaras, but I always fall back to this one. Maybelline Falsies is one of the best mascara's I have ever used, if not the best. I always go for volumising mascaras which give really thick, black lashes and that is exactly what this does. It has a curved brush which makes it so easy to coat every lash in product evenly. I curl my lashes every day, and this mascara really helps the curl last. It gives a wide eyed look and makes your lashes look really long and thick which is exactly what I want. It is one of the cheapest mascaras I have ever used, and I love it so much that I always have one in my collection ready to use.

Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat | Pillow Talk

You will have definitely seen this lipliner before if you watch any videos on YouTube, or if you follow beauty blogs. It is one of the most raved beauty products from Charlotte Tilbury's vast collection, and rightly so. This, along with the lipstick I'm going to talk about next, has been my most used lip product over the past year without a doubt. It is a gorgeous rose nude shade that goes with any make-up look. The formula of these lipliners are just amazing. They are a little bit thicker & waxy compared to your standard pencil. It makes it so easy to out line your lips but to fill them in also. I have worn this on its own many times with just a lip balm on the top. It holds on any lipstick that you wear on top of it so well and lasts so long throughout the day.

MAC Brave

Paired with Pillowtalk this is my go to lip look. If you don't have Brave in your collection, and you like a natural lip look..then go out and get this lipstick straight away! This lipstick makes any make-up look complete. It brightens up the complexion and just looks amazingly natural. It is a satin finish, so it goes on smoothly and gives a natural sheen to the lips. It's not as long-lasting as it would be if it was a matte, but it is definitely worth the extra top ups.

Those are the products that I always seem to have in my make-up bag, and the ones that never let me down. What products do you always reach for? Let me know what products you can't live without!

Monday, 6 February 2017

This palette is one that I have been eyeing up since it released. It has been raved about across social media, everyone seems to love it. Even though it was something I wanted to get, I never got around to actually buying it. I was lucky enough to get it for Christmas, and it has been getting well used since. The colours are exactly what I have been going for recently. I am going crazy for anything warm toned, which is the complete opposite of what I used to be obsessed with. Blank Canvas shadows are seriously impressive for the price. I have used the "Pippa" palette from them, and I love the shades in that palette. I was really impressed with the quality of that palette, so I was hoping that these shadows would be a similar kind of thing- and I was not disappointed.

If you are starting off with make-up, or are looking for a good all-rounder for eyeshadow, I would recommend this one to you. The combination of colours in this palette are so beautiful, and they all work so well together. The shadows themselves are lovely, they are creamy, pigmented and so easy to work with. They apply onto the eye-lid so beautifully and they work like a dream team. You can create any kind of look with this palette. You can have a subtle "no-makeup" look, a "more effort made" look, to a full on "night out" look.

Another thing I love about these shadows is their longevity. I do prime my eyes everyday without fail, using the Urban Decay Primer Potion, but regardless- they are still some of the longest lasting shadows I have ever used. I have oily skin and oily eyelids so eyeshadows tend to fade really easily on me. But these shadows have really stood the test. My favourite shades are Goddess, Brazen and Cocoa. All the shades compliment each other really well and they are the perfect selection of brown/neutral shades for an everyday eyeshadow palette.

For the price, you really can't go wrong with this palette. It is available on the Blank Canvas website here for €34.99. Let me know if you have tried this palette and what your thoughts on it were!

Tuesday, 31 January 2017

January was the longest month ever! I thought we would never get to the end of it. I didn't really try a whole lot of new products, but since I didn't do a December favourites I thought I would just show you what I have been using and loving lately.

Inglot Sparkling Dust 02

I have actually owned this for months, but only really started to use it over the past month. If you are after a seriously intense highlighter, then look no further. While it does have flecks of glitter in it, once it is applied and blended I find it doesn't look glittery at all. It is the most intense glow I have found in a long time, some people may find it is too much for everyday but I am obsessed with highlighting and wouldn't hesitate to wear this on a day to day basis!

MAC Blankety

Another product I have owned for ages and have fallen in love with again over the past couple of months. I am starting to go for the more brown-toned nudes again after a couple of months going for the more pink look. MAC Blankety is the most gorgeous neutral toned nude. Perfect for throwing on day-to-day or for wearing with a smoky eye. It is an amplified finish so it has amazing pigment and feels nice and moisturising on the lips.

MUG Cocoa Bear & Grandstand

I recently wrote a blog post all about my go-to shadows which I keep in my z-palette. But this month, two of the stand out colours for me were Cocoa Bear and Grandstand. I have been wearing these shades in combination with each other most days this month. Cocoa Bear is a warm brown that I think I probably wore every day regardless of what combination of shades I was wearing, and Grandstand is a foiled rose gold shade. The formula of these two shadows are out of this world, they blend so easily and they last so well throughout the day. I find they look as good at the end of the day as they do when you first apply them. I love wearing Cocoa Bear in the crease with Grandstand on the lid. Match made in heaven!

Essie Angora Cardi

If you follow me on snapshot, you would have seen I was so bold this month and I picked off my gel nails. I've had gels for the last year and a half so it was a bit of a shock to the system to have to start painting them again. I have been loving this shade so much. It reminds me of Kat Von D's "Lolita" lipstick in colour. I'm not even sure how to describe it, it is a plum with a bit of mauve in there. I find that it looks good with or without a tan, which suits great as I have been abit lazy when it comes to tanning the past while.

Jo Malone Wood Sage & Sea Salt

I was lucky enough to get a bottle of this for Christmas and I have been flying through it since. It is my all time favourite perfume. It is the only one I have ever tried from Jo Malone, and I am in love. Again I am so useless at describing things, scents being one of the more difficult things..but it is woody, fresh and a very clean scent. It does remind me of the beach, and I love wearing it because of all the happy memories I made wearing it. I 100% recommend you head into Brown Thomas, or wherever your nearest Jo Malone counter is, and give it a sniff!

Let me know what your favourite product for the past month has been, and if any of your favourites are the same as mine!

Sunday, 22 January 2017

Everytime I look at this palette it makes me so happy. I have been building this up for the past couple of months and recently had enough to fill it. I have been collecting MAC eyeshadows for years, but only recently have gotten into the Make-up Geek range. I started ordering off Beauty Bay, and after swatching the first few - I was hooked. I ordered the "Z-Palette" from Beauty Bay too. It is the biggest one that I could find, if your interested you can buy one here. Since filling it, I have brought this palette everywhere with me and it has done every occasion! I have used it for everyday make-up, night out make-up and I used it when I was Bridesmaid for a wedding. The shades I have put in this are simple, easy shades with a few pops of colour if I want something extra.

I asked on Facebook and Snapchat if you would like to see a blog post going into detail about what shades I keep in this palette and swatches, and a few of you said you would (thank god!) so here it is. As I said earlier this palette is mostly MAC and Make-Up Geek. I have really started using Make-up Geek shadows in the last three months or so and I am officially converted! They are just so pigmented and buttery compared to other shadows I've used, that I really don't see myself straying away from the brand. There are a few shadows from MAC, which once I've finished I will be switching with the Make-up Geek alternative. They do so many dupes and there are millions (well not millions...) of shades to choose from.

This is one of my go-to, staple shades. I use this everyday on top of my eyeshadow primer as an all over base. It is, as the name would suggest - a pale vanilla shade with the tiniest hint of sparkle to it. I find it makes blending eyeshadow on top so much easier, and it's brilliant to even out the skintone on my eyelid.

MAC Nylon

Again this is something I reach for on an everyday basis. I use this as an inner corner highlight or to highlight the top of my brow bone and it just to make my eyes look more awake. I have actually used this as my face highlighter if I have forgotten my usual one. It is so frosty and shiny, it just looks fab.

MUG Peach Smoothie

This is one of the shades that converted me to Make-Up Geek. I use this as a transition colour most days, and it really makes my eyeshadow look more seamless. I never used to use a transition shade but since starting, it has changed the way I do my eye make-up.MAC All That GlittersThis is another recent addition to my collection and one that I can't believe I didn't have before. This is a very light champagne shimmer colour. I normally use it on the inner section of my eye lid to brighten it up, or I put it on top of another shadow to give it a bit more shimmer. MUG Creme BruleeThis is another shade that I use as a transition shade. If I'm not wearing Peach Smoothie then it's this. It is a very light, creamy brown colour. It's actually really nice all over the lid on its own too.

MAC Amber LightsI wore this so much over the Christmas period. It's a gorgeous gold, but it's not overly brassy. I just can't wear really yellow golds on my eyes because they just don't suit me, but this is one that I can get away with.MUG ChickadeeThis was one of the shades that had a lot of hype surrounding it when I was looking for swatches for shadows online. I had myself convinced that I didn't need it and I would never wear it, but after watching a few tutorials online with it, I had to have it. It's definitely one of the crazier colours in my palette but it warms up any eye look.MAC WedgeThis is a cool toned, light brown shade. I like popping this in the crease before I go in with a darker brown, and I love when it is put all over the lid and blended out in the crease. Perfect everyday eyeshadow.MAC PatinaI bought this after seeing Lily Pebbles talk about it a few years ago, and I remember seeing her wear it all over over her eyelid and thinking it looked amazing. This would be perfect for a bride on her wedding day. It is so natural and pretty.MAC CorkThis is the warmer version of Wedge in my opinion. If I am looking for a warmer toned shade for blending out darker colors, or again just to sweep all over the lid, Cork is the one I reach for.

L-R:- MAC Swiss Chocolate, MAC Saddle, MAC Espresso, Push Orche, MUG FrappeMAC Swiss ChocolateThis is not the most pigmented shade in the world, but it is a gorgeous warm toned brown. It is matte, and it does take a little extra work to blend but once you do, it is definitely worth it. MAC SaddleI think this is a Pro product, I bought it off the MAC website directly. It is another matte shade and it is like Swiss Chocolates baby sister. I love pairing the two together. If you told me a few years ago that I would love wearing warm toned browns, I would have thought you were mad! MAC EspressoThis is a shadow that I used to use all the time for my eyebrows. When my hair was darker, this was the perfect match. Now I use it to deepen up my (non-existent) crease area. Push OrchePush is an Irish make-up brand that I discovered when I was on the hunt for a dupe for MAC's Uninterrupted. Uninterrupted was the most hyped eyeshadow ever for a couple of months awhile ago, and then it was discontinued! So this is the closest thing I could find to it at the time. It is such a strange colour. It's a very yellow toned brown and paired with MUG's Chickadee, they are a match made in heaven!MUG FrappeAnother medium, warm-toned brown. I love this one paired with MUG's Cocoa Bear. I would wear this, Creme Brulee and Cocoa Bear on an everyday basis. They would be my favourite for aquick natural-ish look.

L-R:- MAC Expensive Pink, MUG Poppy, MUG Mango Tango, MAC Coppering, MUG MoroccoMAC Expensive PinkThis is a gorgeous pink shade with a gold shimmer running through it. A few years ago I would have run a mile from shades like this but over the past year or so I have been loving the warmer, red/pink toned shadows. This is gorgeous on the lid with a matte colour in the crease. MUG PoppyI love this shade to brighten up an everyday look. I blend this into the crease with a brown and it completely transforms something simple into something different. It is a matte, muted red shade that looks really intimidating in the pan but when you actually apply it, it is very wearable. MUG Mango TangoThis is the pinker sister of Poppy, it has the slightest hint of shimmer in it which makes it easier to blend in my opinion. I love the hint of peach that this gives to an eye look, it looks amazing with a tan! MAC CopperingThis is one of the first eyeshadows I bought in the red family. I really didn't know how to wear it for ages, so it sat in my palette at the time just looking pretty. Again this looks gorgeous all over the lid and blended out in the crease, or I tend to wear it with a darker brown in the crease with this all over the lid. MUG MoroccoThis is one I normally pair with the warm browns in the palette. I apply it in my crease first and then apply a brown on top and it creates a gorgeous warm toned eye without looking like you have a mad orange shadow all over your eyelids.

MUG FlamethrowerThis is one of the standout shades in this palette for me. It is just a beautiful,rich burnt orange colour. It is beautiful on the eyelid with warmer colours in the crease. There is a fair amount of fall out which is understandable since it is such a pigmented shade, so just be aware of that. MUG CupcakeThis shade looks a little bit like a bruise in the pan, but when applied it creates a gorgeous mauve eye look. I love pairing this with both browns and burgundys. It is a matte but it is so blend-able. MAC PassionateAnother mad shade- but as you can see from the swatch it is not overly pigmented, which I actually like. I build this up to the intensity I want to create a gorgeous hot pink eye. I would apply Cupcake first and then blend this in. MUG BittenThe first burgundy shade in the palette is my go-to. It is one of my favourite eyeshadows ever. It blends beautifully, looks amazing on the eyes, and is ridiculously long lasting. If you want to start using more red toned shadows I 100% recommend that you give Bitten a go! MUG Cherry ColaThis was the first MUG shadow I ever tried. It is the more brown version of Bitten. I love this when I want to deepen up a smokey eye. It is gorgeous paired with Bitten or the next shadow I'm going to talk about.

MUG BurlesqueThis is the shimmery version of Bitten. It doesn't have any hint of glitter, it is a gorgeous seamless shimmery shade and when paired with Bitten or Cherry Cola it creates the most gorgeous smokey eye. MUG Cocoa Bear

This is another absolute favourite out of this palette, and if you were looking for one shade to get from Make-Up Geek, I would recommend this one. It is a deep, warm toned brown and I wear this almost everyday basis. I couldn't be without this shade. MUG GrandstandAnother major favourite of mine. I would wear this all over the lid with browns blended out in the crease. It is a gorgeous rose gold shade. It is one of MUG's foiled shadows, which is the same formula as Grandstand. So it is ridiculously pigmented and so shimmery. MAC BlackberryIf I want a cooler toned look, this is one of the shadows I would reach for. It is a matte, cool toned purple shade. I would wear it with either MUG's Cupcake or MAC's Wedge. MAC EmbarkA cool toned, matte, dark brown. Perfect for deepening up any eye look, or for creating a smokey eye.

MAC Satin TaupeThis is a gorgeous shimmery taupe shade which is a perfect pairing with MAC's Blackberry. It creates a gorgeous cool toned eye which used to be all I would wear. MUG Dirty MartiniThis is a gorgeous matte olive green shade. Something that is a little out of my comfort zone, but once I applied it - I loved it. It is similar to Bitten in texture and works beautifully. MAC ClubThis is a gorgeous duo-chromed shade. It goes from brown to green depending on the on the light so you can pair it with both brown or green shadows.MUG Enchanted ForestThis, paired with Dirty Martini would create a gorgeous green smokey eye. Not everyone's cup of tea but a nice change from the traditional browns and greys. MAC CarbonThis is the only shadow that I am not happy with in the palette. It is not nearly as pigmented as I would like, but for the amount of times I use a black shadow it will do for now. But I do have my eye on MUG's Corrupt.

If there are any shadows that you think that I need in my collection, or that you feel would go well with the other shades in my palette please let me know and I will be sure to check them out!